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here are companies where managers are truly in a supporting function. I'm not here to advertise but my last two jobs were like that

Unless programmers have equal knowledge of and input into their managers salary as their manager does in their's, there's still that fundamental top-down structure.

I agree. I work in a matrixed consulting organization. I have a "People Lead" who guides my career development, and I'm handed off onto projects to "Project Leads" who guide the day to day. And I use the word guide intentionally. When I'm staffed to a project, my role as a project member is to look for the project lead for finance and schedule and PM direction, and maybe to a principal consultant if there is one to guide technical direction, but I'm an IC and expected to do my work. My People lead solicits feedback from those I work with, the project leads etc. But is disconnected from my day to day, so there's no feeling of power, just a willingness to help me with my goals.

I am doubtful. If the managers are writing the performance reviews, they are not in a supporting function at all. They are the arbiters of the subordinate's success in the company and that is a vertical relationship.